Article
Version 2
Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed
Understanding UCEs: A Comprehensive Primer on Using Ultraconserved Elements for Arthropod Phylogenomics
Version 1
: Received: 30 May 2019 / Approved: 31 May 2019 / Online: 31 May 2019 (10:27:44 CEST)
Version 2 : Received: 2 August 2019 / Approved: 4 August 2019 / Online: 4 August 2019 (16:54:42 CEST)
Version 2 : Received: 2 August 2019 / Approved: 4 August 2019 / Online: 4 August 2019 (16:54:42 CEST)
A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.
Abstract
Targeted enrichment of ultraconserved elements (UCE) has emerged as a promising tool for inferring evolutionary history in many taxa, with utility ranging from phylogenetic and phylogeographic questions at deep time scales to population level studies at shallow time scales. However, the methodology can be daunting for beginners. Our goal is to introduce UCE phylogenomics to a wider audience by summarizing recent advances in arthropod research, and to familiarize readers with background theory and steps involved. We define terminology used in association with the UCE approach, evaluate current laboratory and bioinformatic methods and limitations, and, finally, provide a roadmap of steps in the UCE pipeline to assist phylogeneticists in making informed decisions as they employ this powerful tool. By facilitating increased adoption of UCE in phylogenomics studies that deepen our comprehension of the function of these markers across widely divergent taxa, we aim to ultimately improve understanding of the arthropod tree of life.
Keywords
Arachnida; insect; phylogenomics methods; target enrichment; ultraconserved elements
Subject
Biology and Life Sciences, Insect Science
Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Comments (1)
We encourage comments and feedback from a broad range of readers. See criteria for comments and our Diversity statement.
Leave a public commentSend a private comment to the author(s)
* All users must log in before leaving a comment
Commenter: Yuanmeng Zhang
Commenter's Conflict of Interests: Author